Unions push for health care bill

OLYMPIA – Legislators weighing a plan to force more health care spending by large employers are facing increased pressure from organized labor, with one union launching a statewide campaign apparently aimed at fence-sitting Democrats.

Supporters of the bill say some companies are pushing millions of dollars in health costs onto taxpayers. But critics, including powerful business groups, say the measures will do little to fix problems with the health care system.

The Legislature’s health care proposals would force companies with more than 5,000 workers to spend the equivalent of 9 percent of their payroll on health insurance programs.

Those who don’t meet the standard would pay the difference to help cover workers relying on taxpayer-funded health care programs.

Maryland lawmakers pushed through a similar measure last month, and labor unions have said they are pursuing such legislation in 30 more states this year.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union this week said it has launched a $100,000 television advertising campaign depicting a groundswell of voter support for the measures.

Spokesman Casey Corr said the effort also will include mailings to voters, and could last through the November elections.

“The purpose of the ads is to put the Legislature on notice that people are paying attention – not just now, but all the way through to the fall elections,” he said.

A major target of the legislation has been Wal-Mart, the world’s largest private retailer, which has about 16,000 store managers and workers in Washington state.

Supporters of the legislation point to a confidential state study obtained by The Associated Press that shows an average of about 3,200 Wal-Mart workers or their dependents were covered by state-funded health care services in 2004.

Additional retailers and businesses in other sectors – including fast-food and temporary labor – were shown to have more than 1,000 employees on taxpayer health programs, although Senate lawmakers have amended short-term labor contractors and franchisees out of their measure.

The cost of public health care detailed in the reports is not certain, but supporters of Washington’s “Wal-Mart bill” believe it could be tens of millions of dollars.

Opponents, however, say the measures will unfairly punish businesses with no evidence that the plans will extend health care to more workers.

“We’re trying to punish Wal-Mart because they’re not union. I think when all the smoke and clouds disappear, it will be real evident,” said Rep. Bill Hinkle, R-Cle Elum, the ranking Republican on the House Health Care Committee.

Wal-Mart says more than 615,000 of its 1.3 million workers are covered by company health plans.

The measures have made it out of their initial committees but must clear another hurdle before getting a possible vote before the full House or Senate.

Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, the proposal’s main Senate sponsor, said the prospects for full up-or-down votes could become clear after the Legislature speeds past key committee deadlines in the next week.

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